Scaffolding



Feb. 1, 1944.

M. A. PAQUETTE 2,340,487

SCAFFOLDING Filed April 6, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 1, 1944. M. A.PAQUETTE S CAFFOLDI NG Filed April 6, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedFeb. 1, 1944 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SCAFFOLDING Montarville A.Paquette, Riverside, It. I. Application April c, 1943, Serial No.482,054

6 Claims.

My present invention relates to the buildin and construction art andmore particularly to a novel adjustable scaffolding.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide ascaffolding, of particular use in the construction of ships, which willeliminate the use of supporting timbers and thus save a considerableamount of space.

Anotherobject of the present invention is to provide a scaffolding inwhich the scaffolding supports are prefabricated and quickly and easilyapplied.

A further object of the present invention is tov provide a scaffoldingwhich will effect a considerable saving in labor, materials, and time ofconstruction.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide ascaffolding which can be readily adjusted to different levels and whichcan be adjusted to the curvature of a ship.

With the above and other objects and advantageous' features in .view, myinvention consists of a novel arrangement ofparts more'fully'disclosed'in the detail description following, in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, and more specifically defined in the claimsappended thereto. I In the drawings: i l Fig. I is a side elevation of ascaffolding bracket embodying my invention attached to an I-beam;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the same; a V Fig. 3 is a similar view showingthe attachment to a channel beam;

Fig. 4 is an edge'view of the supporting mem: her; 1

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the same;

I Fig. 6 is an edge view her; I

' Fig. '7 is a planview of the same;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the supporting bar;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the adjusting bar; 7

Fig. 1.0 is a top plan view of the supporting clamp arrangement;

- Figll is a side elevation of a hangingfbracket embodying my invention;

Fig. 12 is an edge view of the same;

Fig. 13 is a side elevation of another form of my invention supported onthe curved sideof a ship; and

Fig. 14 is a side elevation of the supporting bracket of the same.

In the construction of ships it is necessary, for rapid assembly, thatdifferent types of work be.

done simultaneously throughout the interior of the ship; It has beenfound necessary to con of the clamping mems'truct stagings orscafioldings with. different levels to permit ready access to the work.These constructions take a considerable amount of labor and. materialsto construct and consume precious time. Furthermore, the space inside.of

' which will leavethe hold of the ship free of any supportingbeams orother obstructions.

My present invention accomplishes the above results by providing aplurality of prefabricated supporting bracketsof-s'imple constructionwhich can be readily-clamped and adjusted to" the I-beams and channelsof the ship-or building and which will support the scaffolding floor atany desired level. My novel bracket consists of a horizontal supportingmember 20 which may be readily cut from scrap steel bars of sufficientthickness and width to support the load. The bracket 20 is-bent at rightangles at its inner end in theform of a U-shaped clamp 2|, Fig. 4. Theouter end :may be providedwith a rectangular plate .22-for supporting aguardrail if desired. The bracket 20 is provided with three spacedopenings 23 adjacent the inner end and a; single opening 24 adjacent theouter end.- A clamping member 25, Figs. 6 and '7, much shorter than thesupporting. bracket is similarly provided at its inner end withaU-shaped clamping portion2 5 bent at right angles and with spacedopenings 2'! adapted to registerwith the openings 23 of the bracket 20.I

To attach the bracket to an Ibeam, such as' 28, see Figs. 1 and 2, theU-shapedportion of. the bracket isfitted around one edge of the I-be'amand the U-shaped portion of the clamping member is fitted around theopposite edge of" the I-bea-m. Three bolts 29 are then passed throughthe openings 23 and 21 and the tightening of these bolts willeffectively clamp the bracket to the I-beam. As a safety measure toprevent sliding of the bracket when a load is placed thereon.

the clamping portion 2| may be provided with a set screw 30 which digsinto the front face of the I-beam. v

When it is desired to clamp the bracket to a -channel member, such as3|, see Fig. 3,. the clamping portion 2| is fitted over the edge of thechannel member and the clamping member 25 is turned so that its free endwill extend along the straight side edge of the channel member. Twobolts can now only be passed through the openings 23 and 2'! to clampthe bracket to the channel member.

I have found that the above construction will support a standardscaffolding and the men working thereon. However, it is sometimesnecessary for many men to be on the scafiolding at the same timetogether with heavy equipment. I have thus provided for additionalsupport of the outer edge of the bracket. sists of supporting clamps 32and 33' identical to the clamping member 25 which can be clamped to theI-beam or channel member in the same manner as the bracket 20. The clamp32 may also be provided with a set screw 34 for. the same purpose. Asupporting bar 35, Fig. 8, is provided with a suitable opening at eachend, one end" being bolted to the openin 24 on the bracket andtheopposite end being bolted to one of the clamping bolts. on thesupporting clamps 32 and 33, see Fig. 1. In addition an adjusting bar36,.

Fig. 9, isprovided'at one end-with a single opening and on its Opp siteendwith space openings 31, The single opening is clamped to one of thebolts 29 of the bracket and the bar extends vertically, the lower endbeing. clamped to one of the openings 31 to thesupporting clamp as shownin Fig. 1. V v

With the above construction all supporting beams'are eliminated. The.bracket and the entirescaffolding can be readily applied by merelytightening or loosening a few bolts'andthe scaffolding can similarly beadjusted to any desired level. A great deal of material is saved in theelimination of scaffolding supports and the neces-v sity for buildingscafiolding at different levels for the same group of workers.

7 While the-above bracket is-particularly adapts able to ship buildingit can readily be applied. to any construction where a skeleton steelstructure is used.

external portion of a ship it may be necessary to weld; clampingsupports at spaced intervals.

In certain stages of construction, particularly directly beneath thedeck platesit is sometimes.

advisable to provide a hanging staging across the width of the ship. Forthis purpose I provide the form shown in Figs. 11 and 12 which.

utilizes two small clamping brackets 38 similar to the brackets 32 and33 be of greater width. Supported between the brackets is an L-shapedplate 39. A wooden beam 40 has one'end supported in the plate 39 whichis bolted thereto as shown in Fig. 11. The wooden beam may be of anydesired length and its free end (not shown) may be supported by ahanging strap or any other conventional or hanging support.

Where the scaffolding is used along the curved portion of the ship, thesupporting bracket illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14 may besubstituted forthebracket 20; In this form the bracket 4| is constructed at its outerend similarly to the bracket 20. However, at its inner end it flares toform a plate 42 having a plurality of spaced openings 43, anintermediate slot 44 and the single opening 45. The bracket ispositioned between the clamping members 45 which are identical with themembers 32 and 33 as shown in Fig. 10. The supporting bolts 4! arepositioned in alignment as shown in Fig. 13 so that the bracket 4| maybe positioned ata horizontal level This support con- In using thescaffolding .on the.

except that they may 7 adapted to engage no matter what the angle of theclamps 46 on the curvature of the ship. The bracket 4| may be supportedby the bars 48 and 49 and clamping members 50 in a manner similar to thebracket 20.

By providing a plurality of brackets 20 and 4| and clamping members andbars,'the various parts of the scaffold can be interchanged rapidly andthe scaffolding moved about with a minimum of time and labor.

Whilev I have described certain specific constructional embodiments ofmy invention, it is obvious that changes may readily be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and the scope of theinvention as defined inthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A scaffolding support comprising a bar having a. U-shaped-portion atone end at right angles thereto adapted to engage one edge of a steelbeam, said bar having spaced openings adjacent the. U-shaped end,asecond. bar having a U- shaped portion at one end at right. anglesthereto and a straight other end, said secondbar being. reversiblewhereby the .U-shaped end is. adapted to. engage the edge of an I-beamand. the straight.

end is adapted to engage the surface of a channel beam, said second barhaving spaced openings.

edge of a steel beam,.the other-endof said bar having means forsupporting a guard rail, said.

bar having spaced openings adjacent the U- shaped end, a clamping. barhaving a short.

straight portionand a U-shaped portion atone end at right angles theretoadapted to engage. the other edge of the steel.beam,.said clamping barhaving spacedopenings aligning with. the. supporting bar openings,tightening bolts with nuts passing through said. openings wherebytightening of said nuts will clampsaid bars to the steel beam, and a setscrew passing through the. U-shaped portion of bearing against the steelbeam.

3. A scafiolding support comprising a bar having a U-shaped portion atone end at right angles thereto adapted to engage one edge of a steelbeam, said bar having spaced openings adjacent the U-shaped end, asecond bar having a U- shaped portion at one end at right angles theretothe other edge of the steel beam, said second bar having spaced openingsaligning with the first bar openings, tightening bolts with nuts passingthrough said openings whereby tightening of said nuts will clamp saidbars to the steel beam, and means. for adjustably suplporting said firstbar at its outer and inner en s.

4. A scaiiolding support comprising a bar hav ing a U-shaped portionatone end at right angles thereto adapted to engage one edgeof a steelbeam, said bar having spaced openings adjacent the U-shaped end, asecond'bar having a U- shapedportion at one end at rightangles theretoadapted to engage the other edge of the steel beam, said second bar.having spaced openings aligning with the first bar openings, tighteningbolts with nuts passing through said openings whereby tightening of saidnuts will clamp said bars to the steel beam, an adjustable supportadapted to be clamped to the steel beambelow said supporting bar andsaid bars, a vertical adjustable bar having one end bolted to said barsand the other end bolted to said support, and a supporting bar havingone end bolted adjacent the outer end of said first bar and the otherend bolted to said support.

5. A scaffolding support comprising a bar having a U-shaped portion atone end at right angles thereto adapted to engage one edge of a steelbeam, said bar having spaced openings adjacent the U-shaped end, asecond bar having a U- shaped portion at one end at right angles theretoand a straight other end, said second bar being reversible whereby theU-shaped end is adapted to engage the edge of an I-beam and the straightend is adapted to engage the surface of a channel beam, said second barhaving spaced openings aligning with the first bar openings,-tighteningbolts with nuts passing through said openings whereby tightening of saidnuts will clamp said bars to the steel beam, an adjustable supportadapted to be clamped to the steel beam below,

said bars, a vertical adjustable bar having one end bolted to said barsand the other end bolted to said support, and a supporting bar havingone end bolted adjacent the outer end of said first bar and the otherend bolted to said support.

6. A scafiolding support comprising a supporting bar having a U-shapedportion at one end at right angles thereto adapted to engage one edge ofa steel beam, the other end of said bar having means for supporting aguard rail, said bar having spaced openings adjacent the U- shaped end,a clamping bar having a short straight portion and a U-shaped portion atone end at right angles thereto adapted to engage the other edge of thesteel beam, said clamping bar having spaced openings aligning with thesupporting bar openings, tightening bolts with nuts passing through saidopenings whereby tightening of said nuts will clamp said bars to thesteel beam, a set screw passing through the U- shaped portion of saidsupporting bar and bearing against the steel beam, an adjustable supportadapted to be clamped to the steel beam below said bars, a verticaladjustable bar having one end bolted to said bars and the other endbolted to said support, and a second bar having one end bolted adjacentthe outer end of said su porting bar and the other end bolted to saidsupport.

MON'I'ARVILLE A. PAQUETIE.

